Amid a cluster of low, crumbling houses, the church of Eagle Town stood out conspicuously.
Its bell tower loomed high, the originally white granite walls now tinted a mellow yellow by the passage of time.
A sparrow fluttered past an open stained-glass window, allowing morning light to pour in, cutting through the faintly murky air and bathing the statue of the Lord of Light in a sacred glow.
The statue depicted the deity, the Creator of the Church of Light and ruler of the heavens, seated solemnly upon His divine throne.
As recorded in the Book of Sacred Words, the throne was crafted from plain greenstone, without a single adornment.
The Lord of Light appeared exactly as described in the scriptures—short, square curls crowned with laurel, a broad forehead, wide-open eyes, full nostrils, and thin lips—exuding divine majesty.
